


Prompt #31

by Ambros



Series: Tumblr Prompts [32]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magnus uses a Seraph Blade, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Tumblr Prompt, bamf Magnus, s02e20 slightly AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-12-16 12:13:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11828517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ambros/pseuds/Ambros
Summary: A retelling of the final battle to fill a few prompts I received on Tumblr.-War is always new.Everything that is horrifying always has new sides to show.He keeps throwing magic into the bloody wound in the ground, pulling and pushing and moulding dirt and sand to close it, but Demons keep crawling out of it, black claws and black jaws snapping and slashing, and there are too many.Alexander and Isabelle can’t handle them. For every Demon they kill, two more take its place. There is no winning.Not like this.





	Prompt #31

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!  
> I received a few prompts asking for Magnus taking care of Alec after Jace's "death", Magnus being a BAMF, Magnus using his Angel blood, Magnus telling Alec about his father etc., and a lot of requests on AO3 to write a second part to this fic, so I decided to combine them all together to write this :) Thank you for your prompts and thank you to those two anons for being so incredibly kind.  
> I'm still working on getting better at writing fighting scenes, so I hope it's not too bad!  
> I listened to [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXv92OgO4yY) while I was writing the fighting scene and [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1mkYWkoXyo) while I was writing the last scene, just in case somebody (no one) is wondering.  
> Please note that I use dashes instead of quotation marks; it's a simple aesthetic choice, one that I do not wish to change.  
> Let me know what you think! You can always find me on [Tumblr](https://sometimesambroswrites.tumblr.com/) for a chat or a cry or a prompt!

War is always new.

Everything that is horrifying always has new sides to show.

He keeps throwing magic into the bloody wound in the ground, pulling and pushing and moulding dirt and sand to close it, but Demons keep crawling out of it, black claws and black jaws snapping and slashing, and there are  _too many_.

Alexander and Isabelle can’t handle them. For every Demon they kill, two more take its place. There is no winning.

Not like this.

He can’t help them and close the rift, doesn’t have enough magic for both.

It’s them or their whole world.

(It’s his heart or his mind.)

He snaps his mouth shut against that thought, teeth grinding painfully, his magic weakening once again when two more Demons crawl out on two legs, grotesquely human-like, their ribcage exposed behind their claws.

Alexander screams: - _Izzy_!-, his voice filled with pain and worry, and Magnus looks up, movements sharp, sees her falling to the ground and Alec desperately stepping in front of her, his arrows used as daggers, quickly, surrender not in his blood as he keeps fighting, adrenaline driving him forward, Demons getting closer and closer to him.

Magnus thinks  _fuck it._

He yanks his arms backwards, magic snapping back towards his palms; he twists his wrist, tendrils of blue energy dancing between his fingers as he ties them into a net, and he throws it onto the rift in the ground.

His fists clench as he walks towards Alec, magic thrumming beneath his skin, turning his eyes golden as fury climbs up his throat, the air around him shaking with it.

He thinks  _stay the fuck away from him._

He slips his fingers into Alec’s thigh holster, closes them around the hilt of the sword – he remembers taking it off of him, the sound of it on his bedroom floor.

Alec’s eyes are wide and astonished when the Blade recognises his blood, glows blue with his magic.

Magnus smiles sideways at him, a cat-like grin: -I’m the High Warlock of Brooklyn.

And then war is nothing new.

It’s protecting the people he loves.

His body remembers for him, the sword a comforting weight in his hands as he swings it, fast and agile, his steps light on the sand, the air hot and humid and briny and thick, black stains marking his skin and his clothes as he fights, Alec right beside him, his arrows reaching where Magnus is blind.

Izzy is still on the sand behind them, breathing but unmoving, blood gushing from a wound on her forehead.

The Demons keep coming but they are weaker because of Magnus’ shield, wounds already tearing their flesh, and maybe –

Alec screams.

It’s a bone-shattering scream and Magnus thinks he’ll remember it for the rest of his life, but then Alec is falling on his knees, curling in on himself like he’s trying to get away from the pain and Magnus can’t see where he’s hurt, how much he’s hurt, and the Demons recognise Alec’s weakness and start running towards him, hunting, craving death, and something primal and visceral in Magnus’ mind simply says:  _no_.

He pours it into the sword, both hands wrapped tightly around the hilt, the air around him vibrating with it, he steps in front of Alec, places himself between the Demons running towards him and  _him, Alec_ , and he thinks  _fuck no,_ cuts the air in front of him with Alec’s sword, from his right shoulder to his left hip, he falls on his knees for the strength of it.

The air in front of him  _explodes_.

Blue flames seem to envelope everything for a split second, the noise like a waterfall in his ears, and then everything is quiet. For a moment.

And then every Demon is burning, screaming as the flames run on their bodies.

Magnus crawls on his knees on the sand, the sword falling from his hands, where Alec is gasping for air with his hands pressed against his temples, his eyes staring into nothing, pain digging lines on his forehead, around his eyes, and Magnus wraps his hands around his wrists, his palms wet with blood, forces Alec’s eyes into his: -Alec,- he calls, panic working its way into his voice, Demons still screaming behind him, -Alec.  _Alexander._

Alec’s eyes snap into his, wide and terrified.

-Alec, I can’t see where you’re hurt,- Magnus says, his eyes wandering hysterically on Alec’s body. Alec shakes his head.

There are tears in his eyes.

-I can’t feel him,- he says, whines, begs, -I can’t feel Jace. My parabatai rune,- he’s stuttering, his voice shaking as his fingers scramble for the hem of his shirt, but he can’t reach it, so Magnus does it for him.

His heart breaks in his chest.

There is no rune on Alec’s skin.

Alec’s fingers reach for it, he scratches his skin like he’s trying to bring it back, and he keeps saying  _no_ , incredulous and broken and terrified and desperate.

New Demons keep crawling up from the rift, Magnus can feel them as they push and break his wards.

He tries to swallow the knot in his throat, his own tears.

-Alec,- he says, and Alec looks at him like he might have the answer, but Magnus’ voice breaks; he reaches desperately for Alec’s hand on the sand, their fingers tangled: -We need to finish this.

Alec closes his eyes, slowly, tight, like he’s allowing himself to utterly break for a second only. He opens his eyes, red rimmed and swollen, and nods.

Magnus wants to reach out, wants to say more, everything. He thinks  _my brave Shadowhunter._ But he simply looks into his eyes for a second more: -You take care of Isabelle, I’ll handle the Demons.

Alec opens his mouth like he’s about to say something, but Magnus shakes his head; a tragic smile curls his lips: -I’m more than the High Warlock of Brooklyn,- he whispers. He looks away and takes a deep breath to stand up again.

The flames have grown weaker, Demons running around them into the water, and Magnus focuses on the shadows inside his mind, on the shame and the guilt and the anger and the thirst for death and revenge inside of him, brings them onto his lips, darkness tight around his heart as he lets it bleed into his voice, low and unrecognisable when he growls: -Ad loca inferna unde vos egredierunt redite,- a cruel smile on his lips as he lets his blood speak for him: -  _Sic iubeo*._

Everything stops, like silence after a thunder, and then the Demons obey, like one they start scrambling back towards the rift, running and crawling over each other to follow the order, and Magnus closes his eyes, for a moment only, he breathes against the darkness around his hearth and the demons in his mind.

There are tear tracks on Alec’s cheeks; Izzy is standing with an arm around Alec’s shoulders, her eyes half closed, her face pale.

Magnus swallows: -I’ll close the rift.

He turns but Alec’s hand on his arm stops him; he looks at him with a knot in his throat because he can’t face him too, but Alec’s eyes are determined when he says: -Use my strength,- his voice still broken, -You said closing the rift wouldn’t be easy and you’ve already used a lot of your magic.

Magnus feels his bones tremble, there is still darkness in his mind; he says: -You just saw me command a hoard of Demons.

But Alec holds out his hand, offers; he looks him in the eyes and says: -I know you.

He doesn’t say  _I trust you_. He doesn’t say  _I love you._

Magnus takes his hand and the darkness around his heart doesn’t feel as suffocating.

~

They shower together, not quite ready to let go of each other, Alec’s hands careful in Magnus’ hair, Magnus’ fingers gentle on Alec’s back.

They lay on the bed, legs tangled, foreheads touching. Alec closes his eyes and breathes in as Magnus’ thumb draws gentle circles on the rune on his hip. -How are you feeling?- he asks.

-Better,- he murmurs, moving his head against on the pillow, his nose brushing Magnus’, -I keep reaching for him every other second to check if he’s alright, but it’s fine,- he opens his eyes, -I’ll be fine.

A fond smile curls Magnus’ lips: -Of course you’ll be. My brave, strong Shadowhunter,- his voice gentle around the word.

Alec smiles back, closes his eyes again, and Magnus simply looks at him. He thinks  _I waited for you._  He whispers: -You haven’t asked me yet.

Alec opens one eye, half of his face hidden in the pillow; he studies Magnus for a moment: -You’ll tell me if you want to,- Alec murmurs, his voice soft.

Magnus closes his eyes. He can’t – he’s afraid he’ll see in Alec’s eyes the moment he’ll stop loving him.

-Asmodeus is my father.

There is silence, stunned silence, and Magnus wasn’t as afraid as he is now when he was fighting those Demons by himself.

But then – Alec’s fingers are tentative against his cheek, his knuckles brushing his skin, and he says: -Well, Robert Lightwood is mine, so.-, and Magnus opens his eyes with the laughter that’s startled out of him, he presses his thumb in his stomach and says: -You are the  _worst_ , Alexander.-, but Alec smiles, curls around him, Magnus’ head tucked under his chin.

-Just wanted to make you smile for a moment,- Alec mumbles.

Magnus buries his face deeper into the space between Alec’s chin and his chest, takes those words and plans on keeping them. -Being serious for a moment, though,- he says, doesn’t finish, his finger slowly tracing a rune on Alec’s chest.

-You’re not your father,- Alec says, his words so sure Magnus might believe them himself, but – he can still feel the shadows still lurking in his mind. -But there are parts of me that –

Alec’s fingers are gentle on his chin as he makes him look up; he’s so close and open Magnus could just close his eyes and lose himself in him. -I don’t expect you to be perfect,- he says, careful with his words, -I expect you to be you, every part and every shadow and every single thing you don’t like, because that’s – you’ll still be a fucking miracle to me. Okay?

Magnus closes his eyes.

(Peace is always new. Hope is always new.)

-Okay.

 

 

 

 

 

*Crawl back to the corner of Hell you came from, I  _command_ you.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to the super lovely and smart [Ginny_Potter](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ginny_Potter/pseuds/Ginny_Potter) for the latin translation!


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